


Five Seasons

by wellthengameover



Series: Sherlock Meta [19]
Category: Sherlock (TV)
Genre: Analysis, Meta, Other, Season/Series 04, Season/Series 05, Sherlock Meta, TJLC | The Johnlock Conspiracy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-11-22
Updated: 2015-11-22
Packaged: 2018-05-02 21:49:04
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 734
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5264906
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wellthengameover/pseuds/wellthengameover
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>What do you think about end of the whole show? Do you think that Sherlock will finish with S5E3 or it will continue after Johnlock endgame?</p>
            </blockquote>





	Five Seasons

Mofftisson have talked about one-offs post-series. Personally, I think those may be severely limited by logistics issues AKA can they get Benedict and Martin scheduled at the same time, etc. People have talked about that being an issue for S5, as well; that perhaps there will be 4 seasons. I can only say that in my opinion - based on what’s been on screen in the episodes thus far - the plan, starting from S2, was to have 5 seasons with possible one-offs after that, and that I don’t think we have access to the sort of information that we could use to predict logistics problems (scheduling, BBC’s agenda, commitment level by everyone, other shows, etc), thus we have to use only the info that we have, meaning what’s in the show. 

Mofftisson have repeatedly implied that they have an end-point in mind - even saying things like “one-offs post-series” means that there isa point when the story will be finished and anything after that is extra. Since they’ve told us they have S4 and S5 planned out but never said they’ve planned out an S6, it seems pretty likely S5 is the end-point they have in mind.

There may be one-offs after the the series is over (10 year anniversary in 2030?), though I doubt there will be more seasons after S5. In my opinion, _the story we are watching now ends when Sherlock and John get together._ Any episodes or seasons or one-offs after that are a different story. This story is about getting John and Sherlock together. After they’re together, the story would have a different point, would be a different story. This new story would presumably be about ... the cases, which seems unlikely. It’s not that I think it’s impossible to continue the show after they’re together; I just don’t think that’s the path they’re taking. So I think: 5 seasons, no more, with possible one-offs, depending on logistics. 

I believe there are two more big steps to getting Sherlock and John together:

  1. John leaves Sherlock temporarily
  2. Sherlock and John kiss



Two more steps; two more seasons.

John leaving Sherlock temporarily pretty much has to happen over a hiatus - it doesn’t really count if John leaves Sherlock at the end of 4x1 and returns in 4x2. 

There are also two more major villains:

  1. Mary 
  2. Jim



Mofftisson could theoretically write in another major villain to have 6 seasons, however, since I think that both of those villains correlate to causing/influencing a step of getting John and Sherlock together, it seems unlikely. 

Given [the number of things Mofftisson have got hanging within the show right now](http://loudest-subtext-in-television.tumblr.com/post/79041544289/m-theory-mycroft-moriarty-and-magnussens-shared), I think it would be _very_ difficult to finish up and get John and Sherlock together in 3 more episodes. I think that if Mofftisson had wanted or needed to be done with the show after S4, they would’ve gotten rid of Mary in HLV. They could’ve easily written it that way - but they didn’t, which makes me think the plan at that point was still very slow burn. Mary is keeping everything on ice. (It is, broadly speaking, her function.) The fact that she’s still around after HLV means they want to continue to keep everything on ice for a while. 

Also, if Mofftisson were feeling like they had to get it all done next season, I don’t think the Special would be Victorian; I think it’d be 100% set in modern day, to give them 4 more episodes instead of 3. The fact that the Special is Victorian makes me think that they’re still comfortable taking a fairly leisurely pace.

These are the plot points that I believe still have to happen:

  1. Mary disappears as a villain
  2. Jim alive
  3. Baby resolved
  4. Three Garridebs
  5. John temporarily leaves Sherlock
  6. Mycroft dies
  7. John’s sexuality clarified
  8. Jim’s Big Project
  9. Sherlock and John kiss
  10. Jim dies as a villain



That’s a lot to cover in 3 episodes. It definitely wouldn’t fit with the softly/slowly tone/speed they’ve been progressing at thus far. I suppose I don’t think it’s _absolutely impossible_ to do in 3 episodes if they decided that they had to, but again, I don’t think that was the original plan, nor do I think it was the plan at the time they made the Special, nor do I think we have the sort of info to tell us if plans have changed since then. I know I don’t.

**Author's Note:**

> Transcribed from [my meta blog on tumblr](http://wellthengameover.tumblr.com/my-sherlock-meta). Much more there.


End file.
